Bonjour Honey
by I'll come to thee
Summary: Well, this really doesn't fit into one of those categories, but whatever. So, this is about Kamijo and Machi from the band Lareine. Is is good? not really. For any of the tens of people who will read this, I hope you enjoy it.


Bonjour Honey

I found the note you tied to my bedpost. The past few days, I've just been sleepwalking through my daily routine. Love, my love, had left. I have a hard time looking at any drum set now, Machi, and that's a problem because I still have to write songs for a living. I really didn't mind the other two leaving the band, but you? I know it makes perfect sense, no one would listen to a song if all it had was a drummer and a vocalist, and I know it's probably my fault. You know more than anyone that I'm used to getting what I want.

I remember when I first met you. It was November 19 of last year and it had flurried all day giving the city a soft, dream-like look. I don't remember why, but I was wandering Tokyo in my stage costume. Not like it mattered at that time, Laliene wasn't popular, so no one recognized me; I've always liked showing of in public, anyway. I wasn't going anywhere just watching sweethearts flit around with shining eyes and toothy grins, business men sulking home to their loveless marriages, and children sobbing to their overwhelmed, underage mothers who regret ever having children. I seemed so far apart from them that they looked like mannequins inside snow globes.

A combination of cold, nicotine and a lack of oxygen made me light-headed. It was around nine, so I decided to go sit in the Shinjuku Loft, my favourite place to be alone. As soon as I opened the door, I was met by the familiar musky scent of oak and old. There wasn't going to be a show that night and I assumed I'd be the only one there. The theatre was only dimly lit but the stage lights were on. I sauntered (I don't walk) closer towards the stage still holding my half-finished cigarette that had gone out long before.

Then I saw you. You were carrying out pieces of a drum set that seemed to be held together only by duct-tape and the grace of God. From where I stood, you looked like some sort of street urchin, dressed in an oversized white tee-shirt and army pants that swallowed your petit frame. I stepped closer into the light and the sequins on my blue overcoat shone brightly. This startled you much more than I had intended because you whipped around and when you saw me standing there, you dropped your drums sending one flying past my shoulder barely missing my face.

"Oh wow- I'm really- I mean, huh, hello-" you stammered and bent down to gather your things still spouting sentences that would never be finished. I could see your face clearly and was struck by how shiny you ragged hair was. It was your eyes, however, that captivated me, your eternally apologetic eyes.

"-…um, blondie?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes? What?"

"Nothing really, you seemed out of it. Did you hear a word I said?"

"You said something?" You jumped down from the high stage and I swear I saw you sprout wings.

"I said my name's Machi, and I was wondering why you look so… so, um, pretty. I thought you were a girl," your face flushed and you studied your fingernails intently. I had and still have a horribly bad habit of poaching people, and you had just piqued my intrest. Everyone needs a meaningless relationship, right?

"Well, I just happen to be in a band, I'm the lead singer, you should come hear us play sometime-" I had just put my arm around your too-thin waist when you cut me off.

"Oh! Could you listen to me play and tell me what you think?! Wow, you must be really good to be professional, wait here; I'll be back in a sec." You scurried off searching for the other drums that fell off the stage which miraculously didn't break.

"You've gotta be kidding me…" I muttered under my breath, I wasn't in the mood to work too hard for you, but your beaming, child-like face made me stay. I sad down in the front row and re-lit my cigarette. You scrambled around, tripping and dropping your things all the while. You finally started playing a song that I didn't recognize, I was stunned, you were actually quite talented. I didn't say a word, just let is soak in. When you were finished, you were out of breath, which made you even more attractive.

"Did *pant* you en-*pant*-joy that?"

"Well, honey, we can discuss that over a few drinks, I'll meet you outside" I walked out without waiting for your response, because I didn't really care weather you wanted to go or not, you didn't have a choice.

We got a taxi and you tried to explain that you couldn't afford dinner let alone a cab. You finally stopped trying to reason with me when I threatened you with the prospect of buying you even more stuff. The cab pulled over near my favourite bar, I paid the driver despite your pout and whimper. You have no idea how adorable you looked; it took all my self-control not to pin you down on the pleather upholstery right then.

My first mistake was taking a seat at the bar. One of my…fans was a bar-tender there and it just happened to work out that he was working that night. I could pick out his permed, confetti-coloured hair from across the room.

"I don't need this right-"

"KA~MI 3"

"What did I do to deserve this?"

"Oh, it's been EONS since I saw you last, you look gorgeous by the way, we must chat sometime-"he stopped and interrogated you with his eyes. "Who's THIS?"

"Um, hi, I'm Machi, nice to meet you, um, I-"

"Uh~huh. So, you picked up a whore, Kami? I thought you were better than that. You know I'm available, and you wouldn't have to pay a thing, I'm sure I'd be better in bed than stutter-y over there."

"Yuki! Shut. The. HELL. Up." I yelled a bit louder that I meant to, but I think I got my point across. Everyone seemed to be staring at us. Yuki walked away and actually did his job for once. I didn't know how to handle the situation just yet, so I watched the sea of people and drinks for a while. I think I was a few crystal glasses fall and shatter, stomped into dust by their drunken owners. I turned and laid my head on the bar.

"You can leave if you want, I'm really sorry…"

"Why would I want to leave?" I slowly lifted my head and a napkin was drooping from my forehead.

"What…?"

"Well," you flushed again and that lifted my spirits. I tried to take the napkin off my head as suavely as possible, but failed. "You can't say what your friend s-"

"He's not exactly a friend"

"Huh, um, what your not-exactly-friends say, and, I mean, at least he thought I looked good enough to be a prostitute…" By that point I decided that you must either be the densest or the most naïve person I've ever met. It would be criminal to leave you alone for too long, that would be my excuse, anyway.

"Well, you took that really well"

"This is the first time anyone took me out to a bar, so I'm pretty excited!" you shrugged and smiled. I ordered the drinks and meant to say there only an hour or two. I had this whole thing down to a science, go to bar, get drunk, go to my apartment, and never see you after the next morning. Clockwork.

We stayed until the owner politely kicked us out at 4a.m. I didn't feel drunk even though I'm sure I had at least three cosmos. We just talked the whole time. About everything. I found out that you weren't as dense as I thought, quite the opposite. We were more alike than I could have imagined. My second mistake of that night (well, morning by that time) was beginning to like you as a person. It's so easy when there isn't much emotion invested, but now the fear of losing you loomed over my head and nothing was so simple. How can you lose someone you don't even have, I wonder? I couldn't risk anything anymore even if I ended up breaking my own heart in the process. I gave you enough money to get back to your house on the other side of Tokyo. I don't remember the trip home, I came out of my daze and found myself channel surfing, even though I hate watching television. I couldn't remember weather I invited you to meet Laliene or not, so I want to bed and hoped for the best, either way, working would clear my head.

The next morning, I was very surprised to see you waiting for me on the street. I didn't remember telling you I live, but I'm not one to remember anything in the mornings, anyway.

"Hi! I'm really grateful for last night, and I can't wait to meet your band."

"Nhnnn…"

"Kamijo? Are you feeling OK?"

"Hmm, Ou, how are you not hung over?"

" I don't think I've ever been hung-over. Heheh…"

"I want your kidneys (among other things). What did you have to drink anyway?" I could feel my spirits lifting just being near you.

"Um…vodka on the rocks, a glass of Pinot Noir, and a Peachtini."

"Ha- a peachtini?! Even **I **don't drink those"

"I hadn't either, but I really liked it. What? Is that a bad thing?"

"No, no. Hey, Peachtini, our chariot has arrived," not much of a pet name, but I had to start somewhere. The car that the record company let me use drove up the curb and we hurried in to get out of the cold. I must have fallen asleep almost immediately. I didn't mean to be rude, but it wasn't my best moment. I woke up but pretended to be asleep because I found that I had fallen asleep with my head on your shoulder and you were stroking my hair. When we arrived at the recording studio, you gently woke me up.

"We're here. I hope you feel better…"

"Oh, I'm wonderful." We walked into the steel building that pierced the skyline in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. I introduced you to the rest of Laliene and they seemed to get along with you well, which was good, considering you were the newest member. After a few practices, I'm sue they liked you much more than they did me. You moved in with me shortly after, since you had to live closer to the studio, not that you minded, though. You suggested we change our name to Lareine, since it meant queen in French. We finally had a full band and started to perform live shows. All of us had costumes except you, and you instated on making it and putting it together yourself. At first I didn't recognize you in the dimly lit room the sleazy bar had given us as a backstage. Your dress was so intricately made that I assumed that you'd bought it, but I later learned that one of your secret talents was sewing. Waves of red satin and lace were the only things I saw at first. The dress overwhelmed you. You put a rose in your black wig and looked like a modern day Aphrodite. It was only natural that I wrote your character as the embodiment of love. Those first few months were the happiest time in my life, you know. It felt like a dream and I'm still not convinced it wasn't.


End file.
